Black Caps batters crumble again as Bangladesh win first Twenty20 international

At McLean Park, Napier: Black Caps 134-9 (Jimmy Neesham 48 off 29; Shoriful Islam 3-26 off 4) lost to Bangladesh 137-5 in 18.4 overs (Litton Das 42no off 36; Mitchell Santner 1-16, Tim Southee 1-16 off 4) by five wickets. Click here for the full scorecard.

One brings two, lads.

For the second time in as many matches at McLean Park, Bangladesh have beaten the Black Caps.

Last Saturday, it was by nine wickets in a one-day international. On Wednesday, it was in a Twenty20 international – and somewhat closer.

It probably shouldn’t have been, after Bangladesh sent the Black Caps in and reduced them to 1-3 and 50-5, before they ultimately made 134-9.

But while they took 18.4 overs and lost five wickets along the way – while benefiting from a fielding blunder in the third-to-last over – the visitors did get the job done once again.

Four days after registering their first ODI win over the Black Caps in New Zealand, they now have a first T20 win on these shores to go with it.

And they will head to Bay Oval in Mt Maunganui for the second match on Friday and the third match on Sunday with an excellent shot of securing their first series victory in any format in this part of the world.

Jimmy Neesham equalled his best T20 international score in making 48 off 29 to lift the Black Caps to a competitive total, receiving support from Mitchell Santner, who made 23 off 22.

But the damage was done in the first nine balls, when Tim Seifert missed one that kept low from Mahedi Hasan and Shoriful Islam then accounted for Finn Allen – caught at second slip – and Glenn Phillips – who left a straight one that trapped him LBW.

It was the Black Caps’ worst-ever start to a T20 innings and the worst by any full member team in 13 years.

Daryl Mitchell and Mark Chapman were the first pair tasked with pulling off a rescue mission, but they came and went for 14 off 15 and 19 off 19, respectively.

Neesham looked set to bring up his first T20 international half-century and pull the Black Caps up over 140, only to fall for 48 the ball after he hit his third six.

Shoriful finished with 3-26 from his four overs, while Mustafizur Rahman made a valuable contribution in conceding just a single from the 19th on his way to taking 2-15 from his four.

Mahedi took 2-14 from his four, but the Black Caps finished strongly when Adam Milne hit the final ball of the innings, bowled by Tanzim Hasan Sakib, for six.

Litton Das made himself the rock for Bangladesh to build around as they set off in pursuit of 135, finishing unbeaten on 42 off 36 when they completed their task midway through the 19th over.

Wickets didn’t come often enough for the Black Caps, except for when Santner and Tim Southee struck in the space of seven balls to shift Bangladesh from 96-3 to 97-5.

At the end of the 16th over, 24 were needed off 18. That became 20 off 17 when Das hit Ben Sears for four, then 14 off 16 when he followed up with a six – assisted by Ish Sodhi.

Had the Black Caps fielder not stepped onto the boundary rope while taking a catch that would have sent the Tigers’ key man on his way, it might have been a different story.

Instead, it became 10 off 12. Mahedi hit Milne for six, then finished the job with a four.

Now the two teams move to Mt Maunganui – the scene of Bangladesh’s first test win in New Zealand, in January 2022.

The way they’ve been bowling, they will have every chance of creating more history before 2023 is out.